


i'll see you again soon

by spacekid1999



Category: Blaseball (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, M/M, and declan is broken, because of tillman, casual homophobia, tillman henderson fucking dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27535105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacekid1999/pseuds/spacekid1999
Summary: declanfromchicago: be careful during a solar eclipse, tilly. don't forget that the umps can incinerate you69_xX_tillyhendy_Xx_69: yeah maybe u can die bc ur gay but if an ump tried to incinerate me i would simply not diedeclanfromchicago: i dont think thats how it works
Relationships: Tillman Henderson/Declan Suzanne
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	i'll see you again soon

Season 9, Day 64

* * *

It’s the bottom of the ninth inning. The Miami Dale are losing 6-7 to the Chicago Firefighters, and they already have two outs with no one on base. The Firefighters are fairly confident in their ability to win. They just need to get Jasmine Washington out.

Kennedy Rogers winds up their pitch, checking the small antique watch they brought with them. When the second hand reaches the hour hand, they throw.

_Ball. 1-0._

Rodgers winds up for another pitch. Again, they wait for the second and hour hands to align. They throw the ball.

Washington doesn’t swing. 

_Strike, looking. 1-1._

Declan Suzanne watches from the dugout with apprehension. Normally, he’d be out on the field with the rest of the team, but after a long game with not much to show for, he decided he would just sit back and watch the final part of the inning.

_Strike, swinging. 1-2._

If it keeps up like this, Declan might actually be able to get out of here and talk to Tillman soon.

_Electricity zaps away a strike. 1-1._

Looks like he spoke too soon.

Declan and Tillman Henderson have been seeing each other for a while now, not that either of them would ever admit it to anyone. They won’t even admit it to each other.

_Ball. 2-1._

Despite this, it’s not exactly the best kept secret in the immaterial plane. After all, he and Tillman have been caught making out in the back of Declan’s old, beat-up car multiple times.

_Foul ball. 2-2._

One would think that being caught in the act would force them to be honest about the situation, but both of them insisted that they were just making out “as bros,” and that, “only real homies make out with each other and it’s totally not gay to do so.” These statements have not stopped the rest of the Firefighters from poking fun at Declan for his… “thing” with Tillman, one of the most widely disliked players in the ILB.

Washington hits a ground out to Thomas Kirby. The game finally ends, with the Firefighters having successfully fended off the Dale. Declan lets the tension out of his shoulders and goes to celebrate with the rest of his team.

He is fully aware of how little he contributed to the game, but hey, a win is a win. He approaches Kirby, congratulating him on getting the final out.

“Oh… uh. Thanks.” Kirby does not look up at Declan while he responds. His eyes are darting around.

“Yeah… sure,” Declan pauses. “Is something wrong? We just won and you got the game-winning out, but you’re acting like we just left a funeral.”

“Huh…? Um… nope! Everything’s fine!”

“…. Okay, whatever you say.” Declan walks off, still a little bit confused. He notices that the rest of his teammates are staring at him, but they look away as soon as they notice that he’s looking. Did he do something wrong? Are his teammates mad at him for not playing during the final inning? They don’t seem angry. No, this is different. He pulls out his phone to text Tillman.

“man everyone’s acting weird. theyre all looking at me like they saw a ghost or something but idk wtf i did…” He doesn’t expect Tillman to respond soon, if at all. Tillman’s always been an awful texter.

He puts his phone away and is looking down at the ground when he notices Goobie Ballson nearby. Again, he feels like something is off. Normally, Goobie’s vibes are nothing but friendly, but… something is different this time.

Declan approaches Goobie, hoping for an answer as to why everyone is being so weird. Goobie seems to be actively attempting to conceal their awkwardness, but it isn’t really working.

“Goobie. What’s going on? Everyone is looking at me like I stole a peanut from Baby Triumphant again….” Goobie shrugs and looks away in response.

“Is it something I did?” Goobie shakes his head.

“ _Then what is it?_ ” Declan allows his frustration to enter into his voice. He just wants an explanation for why everyone is being so… _weird_. Rivers Rosa seems to have noticed this and approaches Declan. Even she seems a bit off.

“If you’re just gonna be fucking weird around me too I don’t want to hear what you have to say.”

Rivers glares at him. “I _was_ going to be nice to you, but you know what? Fine.”

“ _God_ , what is it! Just fucking spit it out already! Why are you all looking at me like I’m going to fucking drop dead?”

“Because Tillman just did.” Declan freezes for a few seconds before responding.

“What?”

“He got fucking incinerated, Suzanne. Sutton told me everything.”

“No. You’re lying to me. This isn’t fucking funny, Rivers.”

“Why the fuck would I make this shit up?” Declan is starting to hyperventilate, but he refuses to believe the words that came out of her mouth just a few seconds ago. 

“I don’t fucking know _why_ you would make this shit up, but you’re _obviously fucking doing it right now_.”

“For gods’ sake, Suzanne, I’m not fucking lying to you! He’s dead! He’s gone! Turned to ashes! Sent to the void! Why do you think that I would make this up?”

“ _I DON’T NEED TO WONDER WHY, BECAUSE YOU’RE FUCKING DOING IT RIGHT NOW!_ ” Declan’s eyes are filled with tears and anger, legitimately believing that everyone is pulling a sick prank on him. Before Rivers can say anything else, he storms off. He pulls out his phone to text Tillman once again. He still hasn’t read the last message Declan sent, but this still doesn’t strike him as odd.

“dude wtf rivers just tried convincing me that u got fucking incinerated? like, sure i’m DEFINITELY gonna believe that, lol” He puts his phone away and heads back to his apartment.

When he finally makes it back, he sits down on the couch and turns on his TV (after trying to remember where he put the remote for a few minutes). He had a habit of recording all the Baltimore Crabs games that weren’t against the Firefighters so he could cheer Tillman on without getting made fun of by him. So, like usual, he started up the DVR and put on Tillman’s game.

The game started off pretty uneventful. The only thing much of note was that there was a solar eclipse going on. Declan didn’t read too much into it though, as he had always warned Tillman to be careful while there was an eclipse. Tillman would usually respond with something like, “Why? Are you some sort of gaylord that cares about me?” Declan would then let out a small chuckle in response and add,”if I’m a gaylord, then you must be the gay-king.” 

The Lovers manage to score a run against the Crabs, to which Declan responds with a jeer. The game reaches the fifth inning without much incident, and Declan relaxes a bit.

“I knew they were fucking lying to me,” he thought out loud, “I mean, the game’s at the halfway mark and he’s still alive.” He pulls out his phone and opens his conversation with Tillman. Still no response. Tillman would usually have at least _read_ the message by now, but he’s kept Declan waiting for longer before, so Declan shrugs it off and doesn’t think much of it.

In the fifth inning, Tillman manages to get a single against the Lovers, which prompts a cheer from Declan. Pedro Davids then steps up to the plate and Declan watches anxiously, hoping for a score.

_Foul ball. 0-1._

It’s okay, he still has two strikes left.

_Ball. 1-1._

Okay, a few more of those and Pedro can walk. With that, Tillman would be that much closer to taking it home.

Pedro hits a ground out to Helga Burton. Tillman looks angry.

“WHAT? Oh, I call bullshit on that. He was totally safe!” Declan freezes. 

“Tillman,” he says to the television screen, “… what are you doing?”

Tillman storms up to the umpire and starts arguing. The inning has already gone over to the Lovers, but he continues to assert that Pedro had “totally made it,” and, “that call was total horseshit.” The batter hits a ground out, but Tillman continues to argue.

The camera zooms in to catch a better glimpse at the argument unfolding before them. Declan notices that the umpire’s eyes are completely white.

“Tillman… I swear you fucking better let this go.”

Tillman does not let it go. They continue to argue until the umpire eventually orders Tillman to go back out into the field. He refuses.

“What, bro? What are you gonna do if I don’t? Incinerate me?”

Declan feels time slow down to a crawl. He can feel every microsecond pass as the rogue umpire’s eyes begin to glow brighter and brighter. He can see the fear and realization start to form on Tillman’s face, but by then it’s too late. In what feels like years to Declan, but was only just under ten seconds in reality, Tillman is reduced to a pile of ash, smoldering on the ground.

_Rogue Umpire incinerated Crabs hitter Tillman Henderson! Replaced by Silvaire Roadhouse._

And Declan let out the loudest scream he’s ever let out in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> ty for reading :)! this is my first time writing in years and the grand siesta has just brought on a lot of hiatus brain.... also just really like the relationship dynamic tillman and declan have so i wanted to dive into it myself! im planning for *at least* 2 more chapters with a possibility for a 4th! any feedback is appreciated <3


End file.
